Double-Duty Furniture: The Trunk

Display furniture that doubles as storage space is a godsend to those of us making the best of our small-space living situations. Within this double-duty genre, we're especially fond of trunks used as tables with built-in storage capacity.

If you've got limited closet space, why not try stowing out-of-season clothes or shoes in a trunk that doubles as your nightstand? Or in the living room, consider using a trunk for a coffee table and tucking away extra throw blankets, DVDs, or even overflow dishes and other kitchen fare.

Because they perform these double-duty functions, vintage trunks, while not exactly cheap, are a great investment. Good flea markets usually feature a few nice finds, and a quick search on ebay turns up a lot of lovely (if pricey) models. We've spotted them on craigslist now and again as well.